h he not make us all
good, able, sound? why makes he [6790]venomous creatures, rocks, sands,
deserts, this earth itself the muck-hill of the world, a prison, a house of
correction? [6791]_Mentimur regnare Jovem_, &c., with many such horrible
and execrable conceits, not fit to be uttered; _Terribilia de fide,
horribilia de Divinitate._ They cannot some of them but think evil, they
are compelled _volentes nolentes_, to blaspheme, especially when they come
to church and pray, read, &c., such foul and prodigious suggestions come
into their hearts.

These are abominable, unspeakable offences, and most opposite to God,
_tentationes foedae, et impiae_, yet in this case, he or they that shall be
tempted and so affected, must know, that no man living is free from such
thoughts in part, or at some times, the most divine spirits have been so
tempted in some sort, evil custom, omission of holy exercises, ill company,
idleness, solitariness, melancholy, or depraved nature, and the devil is
still ready to corrupt, trouble, and divert our souls, to suggest such
blasphemous thoughts into our fantasies, ungodly, profane, monstrous and
wicked conceits: If they come from Satan, they are more speedy, fearful and
violent, the parties cannot avoid them: they are more frequent, I say, and
monstrous when they come; for the devil he is a spirit, and hath means and
opportunities to mingle himself with our spirits, and sometimes more slyly,
sometimes more abruptly and openly, to suggest such devilish thoughts into
our hearts; he insults and domineers in melancholy distempered fantasies
and persons especially; melancholy is _balneum, diaboli_, as Serapio holds,
the devil's bath, and invites him to come to it. As a sick man frets, raves
in his fits, speaks and doth he knows not what, the devil violently compels
such crazed souls to think such damned thoughts against their wills, they
cannot but do it; sometimes more continuate, or by fits, he takes his
advantage, as the subject is less able to resist, he aggravates,
extenuates, affirms, denies, damns, confounds the spirits, troubles heart,
brain, humours, organs, senses, and wholly domineers in their imaginations.
If they proceed from themselves, such thoughts, they are remiss and
moderate, not so violent and monstrous, not so frequent. The devil commonly
suggests things opposite to nature, opposite to God and his word, impious,
absurd, such as a man would never of himself, or could not conceive, the